Connectors are used for joining light-transmitting optical fiber cables to transmitter devices, receiver devices or to other cables. Optical fiber cables are somewhat delicate in that they can be bent or kinked and damage or destroy the interior buffered fiber of the cable. Therefore, as an optical fiber cable projects away from a connection, it is important that the fiber project in a manner that will not overstress or kink the fiber. Overstressing or kinking can interfere with the signal transmitting capabilities of the fiber.
Of course, the best condition for an optical fiber cable is to project straight away from its connection. However, it is not always possible to extend the cable in a straight line, particularly when the cable is used in compact environments. For example, connections are made to transceiver devices located at the rear of a computer and toward a rear wall. This requires routing or dressing the cable at an angle away from its connection, sometimes a severe angle to the plane of the connection.
In view of the problems identified above and to satisfy various packaging requirements, fiber optic connectors often are provided with right angle boots projecting from the rear of the connectors to maintain the terminated optical fiber cables in smooth angles projecting from the connectors. The boots prevent overstressing or kinking of the buffered fiber and provide an improved strain relief for the cables as the cables are maintained in minimum bend radius parameters.
However, one of the problems with right-angled, booted connectors is that a boot often projects from a connector at a given or fixed angle, whereas it may be necessary to dress the cable away from the connector at a different angle. Providing an inventory of connectors with boots at various different angles could be an unduly expensive expedient. Consequently, connectors have been provided with right angle boots which rotate about the longitudinal connector axes to different angles and thereby accommodate different packaging/dressing requirements. A problem with such rotatable boots is that, if a cable is terminated to the connector and extends through the boot, rotation of the boot can twist the cable and damage the buffered fiber therewithin.
This invention is directed to solving the myriad of problems presented above by providing a connector with an unique boot which allows the cable to be moved from a right angle position within the boot to an axial position partially removed from the boot so that the boot can be rotated to different angled orientations without twisting the cable, and the cable thereafter can be repositioned at an angle within the boot, all of these adjustments being made without removing the boot from the connector.